Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing, and the National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton has officially launched a new Masters in Evidence-Based Future Healthcare at University of Galway. The programme, which was announced to coincide with World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day, is fully online and is currently recruiting for its first intake in September 2024.
The new MSc aims to respond to the growing global demand for Evidence-Based Healthcare, driven by the expectations of funders, policymakers, and the public, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. It will also deepen healthcare workers’ appreciation of health-tech advances, such as artificial intelligence, and how to use them appropriately.
Dr Elaine Toomey, a lecturer in Evidence-based Healthcare at University of Galway, Health Research Board fellow and Co-Director of the new Masters, said at the launch: “In an era where information is abundant, but not always reliable, it is essential that healthcare professionals and people working in healthcare have the knowledge and skills to rigorously evaluate and apply the latest evidence in their practice.
“This new and innovative programme will be fully online, enhancing accessibility and flexibility of learning for people from all areas of Ireland, and internationally. It is primarily designed to provide clinicians and healthcare workers, from a variety of backgrounds, with the tools they need to make truly informed decisions alongside patients and their families, ultimately leading to significantly improved quality of care.”
The MSc programme aims to empower workers and address the challenge of misinformation around healthcare by providing a robust interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasises critical appraisal of research evidence and the importance of basing healthcare decisions on the latest scientific findings.
It also underscores the critical importance of bringing together healthcare workers from multiple disciplines to develop and implement evidence-based approaches that can transform healthcare delivery, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
The new programme combines expertise from diverse backgrounds, including medicine, nursing, public health, allied health, data analytics, and ethics to provide a comprehensive and holistic education in evidence-based healthcare.
It covers a range of topics, including:
- Applied Health Research Methods: Participants will gain practical skills in research design and data analysis, enabling them to find, evaluate, and apply healthcare research effectively.
- Clinical Decision-Making: The programme equips healthcare professionals with the tools to make evidence-based clinical decisions in true collaboration with patients and their families, enhancing patient care.
- Communication and Patient-Centred Care: Participants will learn about effective communication strategies to engage patients and provide person centred care in an increasingly multicultural and data-savvy society.
- Digital Health and Data Analytics: The curriculum also explores the efficient and effective use of digital technologies and data analytics to enhance healthcare decision-making.
The Masters is linked with the internationally-recognised centres of excellence of Evidence Synthesis Ireland, Cochrane Ireland, and the Health Research Board Trials Methodology Research Network.
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